Ventilatory abnormalities in hospital admissions.

The incidence of unrecognised ventilatory impairment was investigated in a group of 531 routine hospital admissions who had been considered to be free of significant respiratory disease. Using spirometric tests of FEV 1, FVC and FEV 1/FVC percent before and after sympathomimetic bronchodilator, it was found that 42 percent of these patients had abnormal ventilatory tests, and 47 percent were considered to have obstructive lung disease. Routine use of screening respiratory function tests would be useful in the assessment and management of general medical and surgical hospital admissions.